Sherrilyn Askew (Sherri, #1350) has received a certificate of achievement in Make it Easy for earning an Expert Level Grease Chicks Merit Badge!

“I changed the tire on my old Isuzu Trooper, I put new spark plugs in my current Subaru Outback Impreza, and I took a small motor repair class.

When changing to tire on the Trooper, I learned just how valuable a pair of vice grips and a hammer can be. The tool for removing the locking lug nuts on the spare tire was missing from the vehicle, and the spare tire still had the locking lugs on it. That was an adventure in creative self-talk.

When I changed the spark plugs on the Subaru, I also had to replace the gasket on the cover for them. Apparently the gasket was leaking oil and that is what caused the spark plugs to go bad. Runs like a champ now.

The small motor repair class was extremely interesting. For future reference, you cannot replace a bushing with a bearing. While their function is essentially the same, their wear pattern is very different. Brushes are easy to replace, NEVER over oil/grease your motor, carbon is easy to clean and makes a huge difference on how well your motor runs, and the number of points determines power output of motor (more points = less power). Do you have any idea how many things in your home and vehicle have small motors in them? After Christmas is over my kitchen appliances are all going to get a check-up. (I forgot to take pictures as I was to busy looking and asking questions)

P. S. Grainger carries motors that fit sewing machines.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Emily Race (Simply Satisfied, #3591) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning a Beginner, Intermediate & Expert Level Speak for the Trees Merit Badge!

“This summer we did all these badges while at home or camping. Our family went to Glacier National Park and used a tree guide to identify trees around the campground as part of my daughters earning their junior ranger badges. We identified both deciduous and coniferous trees. That got us thinking so we came home and went through our yard. We planted all our trees so my husband and I knew what they were but we worked through the guide with the girls. We have blue spruce, a red maple, weeping willows, and Ponderosa pines. The red maple and the willow aren't native but the others are.

At our nearby park we found more maples and a few spruce trees. There were some Douglas fir as well. The Douglas firs and Ponderosas are native. All over our area we have windbreak rows of trees. We also have them for snow breaks to help keep snow from drifting onto the roads. This last week we went Christmas tree hunting in the woods. We found Douglas fir, Spruce, and Grand Firs to pick from. When looking for the perfect tree we found many growing too close to each other making them not grow branches between their neighbors. We also some little trees struggling to grow underneath their much larger neighbors. In Montana we don't have a lot of undergrowth vegetation but there were a few willows trying to survive in the area between the bushier firs and down closer to the creek. With all the snow on the ground we didn't find any garbage but we are always in the habit of picking up other people's trash while hiking and camping.

We had so much fun identifying trees with the girls. I always love sneaking in education where ever we are. It is funny how solving a puzzle of what tree we are looking at can really be a fun thing for the family. I also smile every time my girls pick up trash from someone else or from their own pocket if it falls out. We have two beautiful daughters that respect our environment and love to be in it and learning about it.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Emily Race (Simply Satisfied, #3591) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Expert Level Rootin' Tootin' Merit Badge!

“This summer I grew potatoes, parsnips, carrots, beets, and radishes. I also grew onions and shallots. The potatoes, onions, and shallots stored well in our garage which stays pretty cold in the winter. The carrots I froze after blanching and tried pickling just for fun. The beets I pickled as I don't really like to eat them any other way. I only grew about 10 parsnips just to see how they would do so I didn't have enough to store them. The radishes we ate fresh. the potatoes, onions, and shallots are still doing great in December!

I would love a root cellar! Our garage isn't that big and the temperature isn't all that stable. I think a root cellar would be so great. I love the fun of "going shopping" in my garage or in my home canned storage of our house. We are always teasing about running to the store. Sometimes even my young girls offer to go to the store so they can get a new flavor of jam or veggies. Then there is always the amazing amount of money we save.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Emily Race (Simply Satisfied, #3591) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a Beginner Level Unprocessed Kitchen Merit Badge!

“Last week with my home-grown potatoes I made baked french fries. I used a little olive oil and a little salt. The kids loved them! I added onion flakes to some for my husband and I for a little more zing.

The whole family couldn't get enough of them. The kids even ate the fries with a little bit of potato skin on them, something they won't do with restaurant fries. It really made me start thinking about what else I can do.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Baking soda is a base that reacts when it comes into contact with acids like buttermilk, yogurt or vinegar. This chemical reaction of creating bubbles takes place almost immediately. Sometimes you want a reaction which takes place over a longer time period. Baking powder is the solution to this problem. It is “double acting” which means that it creates the gas at different stages of the baking process. This means that the batter rises for a longer period of time, making more bubbles and a fluffier, lighter product.

• Cook three different breads using chemical leavening agents. Describe the texture of your bread and how it’s affected by what ingredients you used. Did it change with the type of flour and leavening you used?

It used 1½ tsp of baking powder and the same amount of baking soda. I used ordinary unbleached white flour. It rose beautifully and was a hit with the family.

I made tomato and herb loaf using this recipe - pg 97, Company’s Coming Breads book. It used 4 tsp of baking powder. It also rose very well and was very moist. We had it with soup and it made the meal. I used ordinary unbleached white flour again.

I am made Beer Bread – pg 106 Company’s Coming Breads book. It uses 1 tsp baking powder and ½ tsp of baking soda. I used locally grown whole wheat flour. We don’t really grow wheat in a commercial way in our area, but a few farmers are experimenting and selling the flour through a local bakery. This loaf turned out quite heavy although with a good flavour. The yeast in the beer doesn’t do anything to help with rising but the bubbles are supposed to make it a lighter bread. I felt that there probably wasn’t enough baking powder/soda for the amount of whole wheat flour.

The three different breads were all recipes which I hadn't made before. The pumpkin loaf was the biggest hit. I really liked the tomato herb loaf with soup. The beer bread wasn't really successful, I could try again with a different recipe, but I probably wouldn't bother when I have many other recipes that my family already enjoy.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

“I learned how to cross stitch several years ago so I taught two of my daughters how to cross stitch. My oldest daughter made me a sampler as her first cross stitch project.

For my Intermediate badge I learned about different fabrics: even weave linen, aida. Basically you can cross stitch on anything that is woven; even a gunny sake is candidate. At this point my favorite is 14 count aida.

This year I completed a sampler cross stitch on 14 count aida. When I first started cross stitching, the changing of threads would make me so nervous. Now I have learned to relax and enjoy the process.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Sherrilyn Askew (Sherri, #1350) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Intermediate Level Homespun Christmas Merit Badge!

“I delivered a Christmas tree, complete with a stand, skirt, lights, handmade decorations, and a large box to store it all in to our local Woman's Shelter. Because of the nature of the location, I was unable to put it up or photograph it. I also donated a hand crocheted blanket.

I had everything ready to go last year, but couldn't seem to find a person or family who needed everything. Most folks only wanted a free tree. It finally dawned on me that the person or family I was looking for was one that had either lost everything to a natural disaster, or had to run with whatever they had on and leave everything behind. I chose the latter. The ladies in the front were glad to see me come in and immediately set to going through the contents of the box. I hope this brightens the holidays for a family with children.

The photo is of the July ornaments. To see all of them, go to my blog for the year of 2014.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

RoDonna Carson (kymomma4, #2361) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Water Conservation Merit Badge!

“I checked all of our water spigots and facets for leaks. No leaks!

I made a list of ways that we can conserve water. One is this winter while I'm waiting for the water to heat up to wash dishes I can let the cold water run into a bucket and use that for our piggies. That way I don't have to worry about uncovering our spigots when it's cold.

I think that it's been going really well. I have brought our water bill down by $10. Even with four children.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

RoDonna Carson (kymomma4, #2361) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Recycling Merit Badge!

“I have found that our recycling company that takes care of our county only allows certain plastics in their bins. The harder plastics like storage containers they won't take. I believe they won't take cardboard either.

For the cardboard I use in my garden. It's great for keeping weeds at bay. As for the hard plastic I will be checking the recycle center in the next county to see if they will take it.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

RoDonna Carson (kymomma4, #2361) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning an Intermediate Level Wild Game Merit Badge!

“I have actually had my orange card since middle school, but I do keep up on the changes in my state laws for hunting. I like to go with my husband when he goes hunting. Not too often though. He likes to hunt with his buddies a lot.

I love making deer jerky. It's one thing that my DH and son love. I'm hoping to learn how to make sausage and maybe some bacon soon.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

RoDonna Carson (kymomma4, #2361) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Beginner Level Putting Away for Winter Merit Badge!

“I have a small deep freeze that I have in my kitchen. My mother taught me to blanche my veggies first before putting them away in the freezer with the exception of green beans. She puts hers in an old pillow case. This year I froze zucchini, green peppers, and cabbage.

I have a food saver so I place my fresh veggies in their bags and sucked the air out of it. It's a good way to preserve in the freezer because it doesn't get freezer burnt. They still have good flavor to them when ready to use.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Emily Moore (E-Moore, #6770) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Little Squirts Merit Badge!

“Today was my first official day of Christmas Break and I wanted to start it off right - to earn my first Sisterhood Merit Badge! I started my day around the house armed with a can of WD-40. I sprayed all the hinges and doors that squeaked. I researched online how to winterize garden tools, and when it warmed up a little, I headed outside to grab all my garden tools from under the house. I scraped off all the dirt and rust with steel wool, put vegetable oil on all metal parts and linseed oil on wooden handles. We don't own any bikes, so I headed to the barn, grabbed our grease gun and got to work. I greased all the grease fittings on the bush hog, manure spreader, and hay rake.

This was the first time I had ever taken the time to winterize my garden tools and I am really happy with the results! I look forward to making this a yearly thing. My grandma gave us a pointed hoe for our wedding and I would like to keep it in good condition for the rest of my life - now I know how to do it.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Heidi Weismann (#6778) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Aprons Merit Badge!

“I wanted to make an apron for my daughter for Christmas to go along with a recipe box of Christmas cookie recipes that I put together. I had a few old curtains made of sturdy material that I wanted to repurpose so they became my "material." I cut it up and put it together this way. I sewed on a pocket with a button. The material is heavy so it can be worn either to cook, bake or work outside. I sewed it completely by hand since my machine has been out of commission for a while. I hope she likes it and enjoys wearing it while baking the recipes that I put together for her.

I like how turned out. After I was done with basic layout I enjoyed adding the pocket and button accent. I was going to add a bow but she is not the "bow" type.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Amber Schrumpf (mylilponyofDOOM, #6345) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Homespun Christmas Merit Badge!

“It was a small Christmas this year so first I found a pattern for knitted ornaments that slipped over those glass bulbs used the odds and ends in my stash got 7 done which is about a third of our tree I knitted my mother a new Christmas stocking, I made a jar of Bacon, Barley and Mushroom soup mix for my father to go with the soup tureen I got him, I made a batch of lotion bars for my sister, and her boyfriend got 2 jars of layered bake mix one for chocolate pecan bars and one of brownies with little bits of Andes peppermint candies instead of chocolate chips to make it festive. That was everyone on my gift list this year.

It turned pretty good. My mom really likes her stocking kept telling everyone how I made it and saying that I did a good job on it. I found a decorative jar for my dad's soup mix and with alternating layers of green, white and red it turned out nice enough to "display like art" till he eats it apparently. The lotion bars were made with equal parts coconut oil, cocoa butter, beeswax and lightly scented with citrus essential oils the hope is the coconut and cocoa will soothe her skin while the beeswax helps protect her hands, don't know if it works yet, but she likes it. Justin's mom sent him home with a platter big enough to hold a sheet cake /full/ of cookies so he appreciated the make it yourself factor of my gift and he seemed excited about his options of peppermint brownies or pecan bars. All in all I think this Christmas counts as a win.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Amber Schrumpf (mylilponyofDOOM, #6345) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Aprons Merit Badge!

“I got my apron pattern for Christmas so when we got home I went thru my stash and found the only thing I didn't have was the bias tape so traced the pattern on to freezer paper (I don't like cutting the pattern paper) and cut out the necessary pieces tacked the pocket pieces together, sewn the flounce to the body, clipped and pressed the seam open, that took about 2 hours and I decided to buy bias tape in the morning. Found the color choices for bias tape severely disappointing but I found a nice quilting cotton that coordinates grabbed a matching thread and spent the next 4 hours cutting, sewing and pressing 1 1/4 inch strips into double fold bias tape. Another 2 hours to apply it to the pockets, a strip across the center seam, around the outer edge and sew the pockets on. This morning had to even more bias tape for the waist and ties made it 3 inches MUCH easier to work with centered it on the apron waist and finished the ties. Total time a little over 10 hours.

I'm so proud of this apron, I put it on as soon as I finished it. The pockets are big enough to hold the rotary cutter, pinking shears and pin cushion while I sew, even my tablet and CD player fit so I can listen to music or audio books while I cook or knit. Plus I made sure that the ties were long enough to tie in the front so I don't have to do awkward maneuvers trying to tie a bow behind my back or worse, knotted into it until someone can pick the knot loose.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

CJ Armstrong (ceejay48, #665) has received a certificate of achievement in Make it Easy for earning a Beginner Level Candlemaking Merit Badge!

“The different basic types of wax are:

PARAFFIN WAX, which is the most versatile and most common. Most commercially produced candles are made from paraffin.

SOY WAX – preferred by many for “natural” candles. Some are from 100% soybean oil, others are madefrom a soy/paraffin blend

BEESWAX – the oldest form and considered to be the “original” candle wax, as these were made centuries ago. They have a natural sweet fragrance because the honey is infused into by the bees.

GEL WAX – is not a true was, but a combination of resin and mineral oil

PALM WAX - is similar to soy wax, in that is natural and made from palm oil

According to the National Candle Association, all waxes are primarily hydrocarbons, no matter their origin and no specific wax or blend is considered to be “best” for candlemaking

CANDLE SCENTS can be:

COMMERCIALS: which are liquid and available from stores selling candlemaking supplies.

FRAGRANCE OILS: which are 100% synthetic

ESSENTIAL OILS: produced from plants

NATURAL SOURCES: examples would be crushed or powdered plants, etc.

Commercial and fragrance oils are highly concentrated and need to be used sparingly. They are also not preferred by many customers.Essential oils are preferred by many because they are natural but not all work well with wax. Tests are necessary.

Natural sources: some work well, others do not meld as well or may cause wax to not harden. Tests are necessary.

CRAYONS: simply melting your choice of colored crayons in with the wax.

Making candles has always been of interest to me, but I’ve never really pursued the craft. I found it helpful to do the research required for this badge to gain more knowledge. I look forward to attempting to make candles in the future.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Jill Yelland-DeMooy (#6748) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Knitting Merit Badge!

“I have knit for many years, so I knit a dishcloth. In fact, I knit this dishcloth twice, once for the December dishcloth exchange, and then again to take a picture of it and to put away for a gift for someone for next year. Each dishcloth probably took 4-5 hours. I have also taught quite a number of people to knit over the years. Most recently, I have taught members of my 4-H wool craft group to knit using their own hand-spun yarn. A couple of them are continuing to knit on their own which is really nice to see.

The dishcloth turned out really well. It was simple in terms of just using knit and purl stitches, but kept my interest with the need to follow the pattern closely.”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Jill Yelland-DeMooy (#6748) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a Beginner Level Know Your Food Merit Badge!

“I have kept a food journal on my phone using an app called Fat Secret. I found it very helpful to get back to tracking my food daily and lost 7 lbs in the month. I had read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle with my kids a number of years ago when we were homeschooling. I really enjoyed re-reading it, there was much that I didn’t remember.

I grow a lot of our vegetables and some fruits, as well as raising lamb and rabbit. I do my best to choose locally grown fruit and vegetables for the rest, either at our local Saturday farmer’s market or at businesses which do their best to carry local products. I am planning on getting back into chickens in the spring and then we will have our own eggs again. At this point, I often buy them from neighbors. We eat very little processed foods, cold cereal and pasta are probably the biggest culprits.

I grew some green kale sprouts, it is so nice to have something SO fresh to eat at this time of the year. I also discovered that some of my other sprouting seeds were too old and wouldn’t germinate.

10 Ways to get more fresh fruit and veggies into my family’s diet. This is difficult as my kids are older teenagers and just getting them to eat at home is challenging. However when they were younger…

1. Smoothies. They loved making smoothies with fresh fruit. Still made, just less often.2. Frozen popsicles made with fruit and yogurt blend3. Salads for dinner. They always preferred raw veggies to cooked, and still do.4. Veggies and dip for family gatherings or 4-H group get-togethers.5. Add lots of veggies to spaghetti sauce.6. Salsa – one son loves salsa and eats a lot of veggies this way. I found several recipes that everyone likes which incorporate salsa – tacos, chicken enchiladas, black bean soup, baked potatoes with salsa, etc.7. We rarely eat desserts but when we do it is usually some type of fruit crumble.8. Juicing – I like juicing various vegetables, haven’t convinced anyone else yet though.9. Vegetarian pizza – we often used homemade pesto in place of tomato sauce, as well as adding lots of veggie toppings.10. Having a bowl of attractive appealing fruit available on the counter for whenever they want a snack.

We don’t use hydrogenated oils or artificial sweeteners.

I was really pleased with the effect of making sure that I tracked my food every day for a month and am continuing. I'm also going to keep a new batch of sprouts happening at least until I can get things out of the garden again. I'm going to try some of the recipes from 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.'”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~

Jennifer Follestad-Quam (jfollquam, #6468) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Entrepreneurial Spirit Merit Badge!

“I actually already have a business plan in place. I took a course in college in 2013 specifically for this task. It turned out well. I earned the only A+ on the finished assignment. I still read it to make sure I am on track!”

MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~